Material transfer apparatus



y 3 I H. H. WEISS Re 20,375

MATERIAL TRANSFER APPARATUS Original Fil ed Dec. 9, 1929 V '2 Sheets Sheet 1 g i W T 7 u i May 18, 1937. I w ss Re. 20,375

MATERIAL TRANSFER APPARATUS Original Filed Dec. 9, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZSnvntor Q 7 0651- Q1414;

IQ A win M, flaw v I! GttornegS.

Reissued May 18, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to Insulatin g Equipment, Inc., Chicago,

111., a corporation of Illinois Original No. 1,783,487, dated December 2, 1930,

Serial No. 412,823, December 9, 1929. Application for reissue June 3, 1932, Serial No. 615,256

9 Claims.

' My invention relates to apparatus for feeding loose material to distant points, and more particularly to places to be filled by the material, and my main object is. to provide an apparatus of this kind which produces'a continuous feed of the material.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for feeding the material uniformly.

A still further object of' the invention is to use air pressure as the propelling agent for the material.

Another object of the invention is to adapt the same for portable installation upon a truck or other vehicle which may be caused to travel to different sites at which the material is to be deposited.

An additional object of the invention isto employ in the novel apparatus a set of units which may be operated harmoniously and grouped compactly.

A final but nevertheless important object of the invention is to construct the novel apparatus along simple and sturdy lines whereby to operate emciently for long periods and with a minimum of attention or repair.

With the above objects in view and any others that may suggest themselves from the specification and claims to follow, a better understanding oi the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the novel apparatus;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the left-hand portion of Figure 1, partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a left-hand end view of the showing in Figure 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail section on the line 4--l of Fig.

Fig. 5 is a detail of a transmission modification; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing my invention applied for use in-filling hollow spaces in the wall of a building in order to heat insulate the same.

It is a familiar fact that in the filling of the building walls with insulating material, the latter must be carried in containers to the upper floors and deposited between the walls. This task is a slow and expensive one and the completion of the building is materially retarded on account of it; also, in buildings already constructed, the job is considerably delayed by the seemingly primitive method of conveying the filling material. Similar conditions apply where other material of a loose character is carried which a. spiral screw i2 operates.

to distant or elevated points for transfer into containers 'or storage bins, and it has been my intention to depart from the former method of conveying the material and develop an apparatus which is positive, rapid and eflicient in action.

Referring specifically to the drawings, III denotes a hopper into which the filling material is deposited. For building insulating purposes, this material is of a light and fibrous nature, and in order that it may be put in motion, I cause the hopper ill to lead into a horizontal duct Ii, in The screw duct ii has an outlet Ila. into the neck i3a of a rotary feeder housing l3. Figure 4 shows that this feeder is comprised of a set of radial wings I, having sharp-edged shoes a, whereby to draw upon the material as it descends and cause the same to till the spaces between the wings.

The rotary feeder i4 is operated at slower speed than the screw l2 in order that the wing filling may be of maximum capacity. However, the feeder acts as a control to assure the passage of no greater amount of material than the predetermined capacity of the feeder divisions.

The material is deposited from the feeder into a picker housing i5. -Here a shaft l8 studded with a miscellany of radial rods I1 rotates.

These rods act as pickers to loosen such material as descends in packed or clinging condition, the loosened material being forced out of the picker housing l5 by a forced draft of air. The housing is formed with a nozzle l5a from which a hose I8 extends to remote points of delivery. The power for the apparatus just described may be furnished by a stationary motor or one carried by the truck IS on which the apparatus is usually mounted. .Whichever power source is used it will sufflce to designate 20 as the power shaft leading therefrom. From the shaft a link belt drive 20a passes to a blower 2|. The latter delivers air under pressure by way of a conduit 22 which has a manually operated release valve 23 for use in case the air pressure is in excess of that required. The conduit 22 has a downward extension 22a which leads directly into the side of the picker housing IS.

The blower shaft Zia is extended beyond the drive 20a to receive .a clutch 24 operated by a lever 25, the driven shaft 26 then receiving a chain drive 21 which passes to a jack-shaft 28 under the frame of the truck i9. A chain drive 29 passes from the jack-shaft 28 to the picker peded by the differential housing 3| of the truck; hence the jack-shaft 28 is provided to avoid this housing.

The driven shaft 26 receives a standard speed reducer 32 from which a chain drive 33 passes to the shaft 34 of the rotary feeder M. A chain drive 35 rises from the shaft 34 with a multiplying ratio to the shaft 36 of the propelling screw 2. Another chain drive 31 passes from the shaft 34 to the shaft 38 of a brush 39 which cleans accumulations from the blades Ila of the rotary feeder i4, this arrangement being shown in Figure 4.

In installations where the standard speed reducer 32 of Figure l is unnecessary or impracticable, I use the simplebeltdrive reducer indicated in Figure 5. It is seen that a jack-shaft 40 is employed to receive a reduction belt drive 4| from the shaft 26 and that a further reduction belt drive 42 extends from the shaft 40 to the remote shaft section 26 from which the chain drive 33 is taken as previously explained.

It will be seen that an apparatus of a compact nature is provided by the grouping of the units as described. While a continuous draft of air under pressure is supplied, the screw l2 serves to propel the material deposited in the hopper Ill for the positive delivery thereof into the rotary feeder I4. Here the material is measured by the capacity of the wing divisions and the speed of the feeder to deliver only as much as can be handled by the picker l'l. Also, the feeder has the further function of sealing the communication between the feeder and the picker whereby to prevent the backing up of the material from the force of the air draft. The latter will thus expend its entire force for the forward propulsion of the material into the transfer hose III. This hose may be easily led to any point at which the material is to be dispensed and trained into the wall space, receptacle or bin required to be filled with the material.

Referring to Fig. 6 of the drawings, I disclose how the discharge end of the conduit is extended through an opening in the outer wall of the building in order that the heat insulating material may be pneumaticallyforced into the space between the inner and outer wallof the building. I

It will be evident that with the use of the novel apparatus, the delivery of the material will be continuous, positive and rapid, and very little attention will be required for the control of the delivery. The harmonious assembly of the units entering into my apparatus will result in the unhindered motion of the material from the time'it leaves the hopper, avoiding clogging and erratic delivery.

I claim:

1. A remote delivery apparatus for loose material, comprising a hopper, a forward screwfeed at the bottom of the hopper, a rotary-wing downward feeder leading from the screw feed, a picker agitator below the feeder, a housing for the agitator, a blower conduit leading into the housing, and a delivery conduit leading out of the same.

2. The structure of claim'1, a power drive for the screw feed and feeder, and a reduction gearing for the latter relative to the screw feed drive.

3. A remote delivery apparatus for loose material, comprising a hopper, a forward screw-feed at the bottom of the hopper, a rotary-wingdownward feeder leading from the screw feed, a picker agitator below the feeder, a housing for the agitator, a blower conduit leading into the housing, and a delivery conduit leading out of the same, and a rotary brush for cleaning accumulations of material from the blades of said rotary wing.

4. A remote delivery apparatus for loose material comprising a hopper, a container, a feeder for delivering the loose material from said hopper to said container in regulative quantities, an agitator in said container, .a compressed air conduit leading into said container, a delivery conduit leading out of said container, and means for discontinuing operation of said feeder without affecting the air pressure obtaining in said compressed air conduit.

5. Apparatus for filling a substantially enclosed space of a building comprising a blower; a discharge conduit leading from said blower; means for delivering insulating material to said conduit; a pressure relief valve located in said conduit between said blower and the point' of delivery of theinsulating material; and a discharge section for said conduit arranged to deliver the material into spaces of buildings or the like.

6. Apparatus as specified in claim 5, in which there is a drop provided in said conduit between the blower and the point of material delivery and said pressure relief valve is located adjacent the top of said drop.

'7. Portable apparatus for delivering at a remote point loose insulating material for filling a substantially enclosed space of a building comprising in compact assembly a hopper, a succesincreased over the speed of said feeder, a communicative connection between the blower and the,container, a discharge conduit for the container, a pressure relief valve located in said communicative connection, and means for discontinuing the operation of said feeder without affecting the operation of said blower, said discharge conduit having a section arranged for delivery of the insulating material into spaces of a building or the like.

8. Portable apparatus for delivering loose material at a remote point to fill a substantially closed space of a building therewith comprising in compact assembly a hopper, a succession. of operative units comprising a power delivery means, a positive air pressure blower operated by said power means, a container, an air-tight feeder operated by said power means for delivering the loose material from the hopper to said container, a compressed air conduit leading from the blower into said container, a delivery conduit leading out of said container, and a pressure relief valve located in said compressed air conduit between said blower and the container, said delivery conduit terminating in a discharge section for delivering the material into spaces of buildings or-the like.

9. Portable apparatus for delivering loose material at a remote point to fill a substantially closed space of'a. building therewith comprising in compact assembly a hopper, a succession of operative units comprising a power delivery means, a positive air pressure blower operated by said power means, a container, an'air-tight feeder operated by said power means fordelivering the loose material from the hopper to said container, 9. compressed'air conduit leading from the blower into said container, 9. pressure relief valve located in said conduit between said blower and the point of delivery of the material, a delivery conduit leading out of said container arranged to deliver said loose material into spaces of buildings or the like, and an agitator in said container for mechanically loosening any of said material clinging together. 5

HARRY H. WEISS. 

